Raju Vernekar
The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) till date saved 11,561 lives at sea, evacuated 453 persons in distress (medical evacuation) and rescued 14357 lives in 3899 missions, ever since it began functioning from February 01, 1977 onwards.
The above figures include 200 lives saved at sea, evacuation of 26 persons and 1336 lives rescued in the year 2023.
Addressing media on the occasion of 48 th anniversary of ICG, Inspector General Bhisham Sharma, Commander, Coast Guard Region West, said that the ICG engaged in safeguarding coastal area, exclusive economic and other zones, prevented oil spills, implemented anti-piracy measures, provided assistance in anti-smuggling and ant-Narcotics operations and provided disaster relief in different missions in all these years without break.
Since inception ICG apprehended 1604 foreign fishing boats, took into custody 13613 fishermen and seized fish worth Rs 24,56,84,855/- in anti-poaching operations. These figures included: 07 foreign boats apprehended and 63 foreign fishermen taken into custody in the year 2023.
In anti-smuggling and Narcotics Control measures, the ICG interdicted 163 vessels and apprehended 1020 crew and seized contraband worth Rs 15,343,04 crore since inception. These figures included 05 vessels(03 foreign, 02 Indian) interdicted, 17 crew (11 foreign, 06 Indian) apprehended and the contraband worth Rs 477.96 crore seized in the year 2023.
The ICG responded to 98 oil spill incidents (94 in Indian waters, 02 in Sri Lanka and 01 in Mauritius and received capitation charges of Rs 32,54,79,126,18/- The capitation charges included Rs 8,23,36,520/- received in 2023. The ICG in the recent past held over 13,000 camps to provide training to local fishing community and imparted training to over 11,000 marine police in coastal security measures, Sharma said.
Landmark achievements: December 1988-The biggest contraband haul in the country was made by ICGS Varuna by apprehending the dhow “Al-Kjalidi carrying gold worth Rs 28.42 crore. November 1999-ICGS Tarabai apprehended pirated Japanese vessel “MV Alondra Rainbow” in the Arabian sea and created Maritime history.
04 December 2014-ICGS Subhadra Kumari Chauhan and Achook apprehended two vessels-M V Ganga Sagar (BDR IV 00098) and Dhow-“ Al Maewan-10”along with 08 crew each involved in transshipment of 23 MT of red sanders wood worth approximately Rs 09 crore, off Mumbai.
20 April 2015-ICGS Sangram apprehended Pak fishing boat-“Al Yasir” with 08 crew and recovered 232 packets of Narcotics (suspected to be Heroin) worth Rs 600 crore in the international market. Besides, 03 Thuraya sets and 02 GPS sets were recovered. 25 June 2015-ICGS Sangram apprehended a suspected dhow-“ MSV Safina Al Meraj”(BDI-1231) alongwith 09 crew off Gujarat Coast and seized foreign cigarettes worth Rs one crore and 02 Thuraya sets. 31 August 2016-ACV H-190 deployed for 4th island with search party of ICG, IB and the Customs, apprehended 17,050 kgs Ganja worth Rs 1,70,000/-.
24 March 2019-ICGS Rajkiran apprehended Iranian crew with 100 kgs heroin worth Rs 500 crore. 21 May 2019-ICGS Arinjay apprehended Pakistani fishing boat “Al Madina” with 217 kgs of Brown Sugar worth Rs 1000 crore.
18-22 September 2019-ICGS Rajveer intercepted Myanmar boat with 1160 kgs Ketamine worth Rs 300 crore. 20 December 2019-ICGS Aruna Asaf Ali apprehended a Myanmar boat with 371.6 kgs of Methaqualone Rs 185 crore in Andaman and Nicobar islands. 06 January 2020– ICGS C-408 and C-437 apprehended Pakistani boat with 35 kgs of Heroin worth Rs 175 crore off Indo-Pak IMBL. 04 March 2020-ICG recovered Gold bars weighing 15 kgs worth Rs 06.76 crore post diving operations carried out off Pamban, Mandapam in co-ordination with DRI.
23 November 2020-ICGS Vaibhav apprehended SLFB “Shenaya Duwa” off Kanyakumari and recovered 100 kgs Heroin, 05 pistols and 20 boxes of synthetic drug worth Rs 1000 crore. 06 July 2021-ICG ACV H-185 seized 21.4 kgs charas worth Rs 32 lakh at Jakhau. 19 October 2021-ICGS Mandapam seized 600 kgs sea cucumber worth Rs.03 crore. 19 December 2021– ICGS C-437 apprehended a Pak boat “Al Husaini” with 06 Pakistani crew and recovered Heroin approximately worth Rs 400 crore.
25 April 2022-ICGS C-454 apprehended Pak boat “Al-Haj” alongwith 09 Pakistani crew and recovered 56 kgs Heroin worth Rs 280 crore. 07 May 2022-ICGS Sujeet apprehended 02 IFB with 20 crew carrying 218 kgs Heroin worth approximately Rs 1526 crore. 31 May 2022-ICGS Arinjay apprehended Pakistani fishing boat “Al Norman” with 07 Pakistani crew carrying contraband worth Rs 250 crore.
08 October 2022-ICGS C-429 apprehended Pak fishing boat “Al Sarkar” alongwith 06 Pakistani crew and recovered 50 kgs Heroin worth Rs 350 crore. 25 December 2022-ICGS Arinjay apprehended Pakistani fishing boat “Al Sohili” alongwith 10 Pakistani crew carrying arms and ammunition and contraband worth Rs 300 crore. .
Replying to a query about proposed air station at Ratnagiri in Konkan region, Inspector General Bhisham Sharma said that efforts are on to complete the work as soon as possible. Similarly the Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre (MRCC) located at ICG (WR) headquarters at Worli in South Mumbai is being upgraded. Also there are plans to convert the existing ICG WR headquarters into a multi-storey complex, he added.
